All She Ever Wanted
by William Cain
Summary: After an unwanted discovery, Hermione recklessly drive away from Hogwarts, only to be followed by an unlikely person. R&R, might turn into a multichapter story. HermioneDraco


**A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or the affiliated character. And the song is "Ex's and Oh's" by Atreyu. Don't worry, this isn't a song fic (I don't really like those) but I feel it fits really well.**

She just kept driving, faster and faster. She didn't care; it was all just too much. She felt as if she was in a dream and if she went faster she would wake up. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't.

_She fumbled with the box while she walked down the corridor. The watch had belonged to her grandfather and she couldn't think of a better present to him for their anniversary. She could barely hold in her excitement and flung the common room door open and froze. There on the couch was Luna laying on top of Ron, deep in a passionate kiss._

She could barely see the road in front of her, between the rain and the tears in her eyes, the road looked distorted, unfamiliar. Still, she pressed on, the needle on the dashboard inching higher and higher, rain pelting the car like a barrage of hail.

_It felt as if everything was collapsing around her. The room seemed to crumble leaving only the figures of Luna and Ron. Luna looked up at her and her eyes widened._

"_What is it baby?" Ron looked up from his position and saw the sobbing figure of Hermione. He pushed the stunned Luna off of him. "Mione, I can explain."_

_Hermione shook her head, as if shaking it would be able to shake the image of her beloved snogging another girl on their anniversary. _

_Ron stood and walked over to her, placing his hand on her arm. Hermione immediately pulled away. She didn't want him to touch her. She took a few steps back._

"_Mione." _

"_Don't call me that!" She shouted and she bolted out of the room, her tears flowing freely. She ran down the hallway and slammed into someone, dropping the box with the watch. She heard someone grunt but didn't care enough to check who it was, she just jumped up and started running again._

She turned the car radio on. Kiss' "Rock and Roll All Night" was playing. Not really suitable music for the mood, she thought. She thumbed the dial, getting nothing but static. She kept going when she heard a guitar riff. She never liked metal, but the mood seemed right.

**You took me home**

**I drank too much**

**Cause of you my liver turns to dust**

**Cold rust takes cold creeping cool pain**

**Do you understand what I need?**

**When u feel your soul drop to the floor**

**Like a whole like an open bleeding sore**

**Then you'll have bleed like I've bled**

**Then you'll have bled this all left**

**Suck me down, its time rock and roll**

**Lets hit the bar, let's loose control**

**One false move you took me home**

**One false move you're all alone**

**But it looks so good and it feels so nice**

**I've paid my price**

**I'll cut you out just to hear you scream,**

**Get away from me**

**And I can feel my heart beat racin'**

**As I realize what I must do**

**Get away from you**

**Should've turned around like you**

**Last time I got a taste of you**

**I should've turned around like you**

**And say we're through**

**You have haunted me like a plague**

**Weakness, we've worked at**

**But I digress**

**After all this...**

**You're just like all the rest**

That was it, she needed to get away. She needed to escape. This was all too much. She kept driving.

A few seconds later another car pulled up alongside her. She couldn't see who it was, but she was pushing 200 KPH. Who else would be driving that fast? The other car honked its horn. Hermione gradually reduced her speed and the other car did the same, staying alongside.

"Damn, it's probably the police." She said between sobs. She pulled over at a nearby rest stop and heard the other car's door open and then shut. She grabbed a tissue from the glove compartment in a feeble attempt to hide the fact she was crying. Someone knocked on the window and she rolled it down.

"What the hell is the matter with you? Are you trying to kill yourself or something? There are easier ways you know."

It was probably the last person, aside from Ron, she wanted to see. She looked up at Malfoy who was currently being drenched by the rain. "What do you care?" She snapped.

He hesitated. Not long, but enough for her to notice that he was thinking of an answer.

"Maybe it's because there are other people I would rather see commit suicide than you."

There was an awkward silence; the only sound was the rain beating down around them.

"Hey… I'm getting kind of wet over here… could I get in there?"

Hermione thought for a second and then unlocked the door. Draco ran around the car and jumped in. Hermione reached in the back and grabbed a towel and handed it to him.

"Thanks… but why do you have this?"

"Beach, a while ago. Forgot to take it out." She said rather matter-of-factly.

"Ah." Draco dried his hair and face and let the towel hang around his neck. " So, what happened?"

"What do you care?" she asked. Draco cracked a smile.

"Well, I kind of care since you pretty much slammed into me in the hallway and dropped this." He pulled a box from his pocket. It was the watch Hermione was going to Ron. Hermione snatched it from him.

"You were going to give that to him, huh?"

"What do you know anyway?"

**Flash**

_What the fuck was that about? Draco thought to himself. Getting up he saw the box on the floor and picked it up. He was about to run down the corridor and give it back to Hermione but she was way too far away. He opened it and his eyes glittered._

"_Oh man, this is beautiful."_

_He walked over to the door he saw Hermione burst out of a walked in on Ron and Luna going at each other like wild animals. He calmly walked over to them and pulled Luna off of Ron. The he grabbed Ron around the neck and lifted him to his feet._

"_Hey man, what the –"_

_Ron fell to the ground after receiving a punch in the face. Draco turned to Luna. "Go back to your room." And he left._

"Enough."

Hermione played with the watch in her hand.

"That's a gorgeous watch." He said. She looked at him and smiled. The first time in a while.

"Thanks… it was my grandfather's." She stopped and her smile dissipated from her face. "Why do you care Malfoy? If this is another cruel joke of yours-"

"Please… don't call me Malfoy. I don't even want to be associated with that name anymore."

Hermione was taken aback by that. "So, what do I call you?"

"Just Draco." He said. She nodded and wiped her eyes wither hand. He looked at her and leaned back in the seat. "You really did love him didn't you?"

"I thought I did." She said, fighting back tears. She thought she was going crazy, like the world was turning upside down. Draco really seemed to care. He was even looking at her differently.

Draco nodded and took a deep breath. She looked over to him. He was staring straight forward, as if deep in thought, watching the rain hit the windshield. There was a flash of lightning and in that moment he no longer seemed like Malfoy, the bully, the dark prince, the most despised man in Hogwarts. In some strange messed up way, he was Draco, the only one who cared enough to chase her in the middle of a storm. The only one who listened. The only one.

"What?" She asked. He shook is head.

"Weasel doesn't deserve a girl like you. Damn it. No one does." He looked at her and his sincerity struck her. She'd never seen him like this. Hell, she never thought he could be like this.

"Why do you care so much?" She asked. The question was bothering her like tobacco bothers a quitting addict. He hesitated.

"Because…" He looked out the window. "I don't like seeing you get hurt."

"Why?"

He looked like he was trying to get out of the car. Like he was hiding something. He probably was.

"Why…" She reached out and took his hand. She couldn't tell whether it was the rain or sweat, but it was moist. Maybe a little of both. He looked down on it and then back at her.

"I've never met anyone like you. You deserve the best and the fact that you settle for Weasel eats me up inside."

Hermione was about to ask him if this was some sick joke, but the look in his eyes told her a different story.

"So, who do you think will be able to treat me like I deserve? You?"

"No." He said instantly. He looked back at her and for a second she could swear she saw tears well up in his eyes. "And that's what kills me."

He gave her hand a slight squeeze, and got out of the car, walking in the pouring rain. Hermione leaped out of the car after him. When she reached him, she turned him around. His head was down and shaking.

"Draco… I don't want someone who's perfect. That won't happen. I just want someone who will care about me."

"I don't even know if I can do that." Daco said, his voice wavering.

"But I have a feeling you're willing to try. You're not the same person I once knew."

He picked his head up and looked at her. His eyes said it all. There was no more need for words. Hermione wrapped her arms around her neck and pressed her lips against his. There was no bolt of lightning, no trumpets, no cherubs. Just two people who genuinely cared for each other. And that's all she ever needed.

A/N: If there's any interest, I may turn this from a one shot into a full story, but please leve some feedback. I'm actually proud of this one as I feel my writing has matured and want to know what you guys think. Thanks for reading!


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